Secrets Can Destroy
by Orlando's Hot Chick
Summary: Tessie grew up in Charming, her father being a member of SAMCRO. She left 2 years after he died when she was 18. Leaving behind her friends, family, and the love of her life. Moving to NYC she became an agent in the FBI. And now she's undercover and back in Charming trying to build a case against SOA. But can she do it? Or will falling for Jax all over again win the battle? (JaxOC)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It all started with a job. A job she knew she didn't want to take, but a job she knew that she would have to take. She was the only one qualified enough for it. She was born and raised in that town. It was her family, her friends….Well, it used to be anyway. She left Charming when she was eighteen. She had to. She just couldn't stay there any longer. She left her family behind, her friends behind, and even the love of her life behind.

She knew that going back there would be a risk, but what other options did the FBI have? Tessie was the only one who could gain access without having to wait months on end. She was the only one who could get close enough to figure out who the suppliers were. She didn't have any kind of choice or say in the matter, it was already decided for her. She was going back home… undercover. It was a risk, but she had to do it.

Her father had died for that club. Her mother had gone crazy for it, and here she was trying to run away from it. But in the end, the Sons of Anarchy always win. She shook the thoughts from her head. She didn't want to see the looks on people's faces when she had arrived; especially on his face. That was the one thing she was completely afraid of. What would he say when he seen her? How would he react to her being home?

She kept her hands on the steering wheel in front of her as the car pulled into town. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding as she slowed the car down to the speed limit. Tessie glanced over to her passenger in the car, her partner Charlie. That was her only condition of going back, that she was not going in alone. Charlie wasn't just her partner in the Bureau, but she was also Tessie's roommate in New York City. The two girls had more in common than they had thought when they first met.

"Are you going to be alright?" asked Charlie, her gaze moving over to Tessie. Tessie shrugged her shoulders before glancing back over to her friend.

"I'm not quite sure yet," she said lowly. Her father was the reason she had left town, although she never would have admitted it to anyone else. He was killed because of SAMCRO business, and Tessie was scared the same thing would happen to her or worse. He was shot when Tessie was only sixteen. Her mother went through a breakdown, drinking every drop of liquor in her sights as well as taking every pill or drug she could get her hands on.

The year after Tessie had moved to New York, she had gotten word that her mother had left town as well. The last thing Tessie heard, she was in Florida with some new boyfriend of hers. That was almost five years ago. She had seen her mother one more time since then, and she had regretted it ever since. It was only a few weeks ago, and it was the final push she needed about taking this case and going back to Charming.

Tessie had more ties to the club than the Bureau had known. It wasn't just her past with them, but her uncle was also still a member. Chibs, as he was called among the members, was her mother's brother. He was the one who took care of Tessie after her father had died and her mother went crazy. He was one of the main reasons she had come home. She knew that at least he would help her with her mother situation.

"Please don't have a mental breakdown while you're driving. I'm not ready to die yet," Charlie said with a slight laugh. Tessie glanced over to her flashing a small smile. She was more than way nervous about being back here after almost ten years. She pulled the car over to the side of the road and took a deep breath.

"Can we just get this done and over with?" she smiled softly and stepped out of the car, popping the hood. She walked around to the front of the car, reaching in and tweaking a few minor things under the hood. She needed some kind of excuse to go and see the mechanics. Besides, she was only a few blocks away from the clubhouse now.

Once she shut the hood, took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, she walked back to the driver's side of the car and slid back in her seat. Charlie knew what she was doing; they had discussed the plan on the way there. They had their story ready to go and now it was time to put things into play.

Tessie started the car, smiling to herself at the rattling noise under the hood, and made her way to the clubhouse. The gate was open, so she just pulled her Explorer right on through. She knew these guys specialized in motorcycles, but she also knew that they knew cars. She pulled over to the side, parking in an empty space as she glanced over to Charlie.

"Let's do this before I change my mind," she smiled softly as she stepped out of the car once more. She swung her satchel bag over her shoulder and walked towards the building. She looked around, noticing the place hadn't changed much at all in the ten years she had been gone. There were a few guys sitting outside the doors talking, Tessie only recognized two of the faces, and knew they would make a scene about her being home.

"Some things never change," she muttered as she walked over to the two guys sitting at the picnic tables. Both of them looked up to her with wide eyes.

"Holy shit! Tess?" one of them asked as he stood up and walked over to her. She smiled and nodded her head slightly as he made to hug her.

"Well hello to you too, Juice-box," she said laughing lightly. The other guy walked over and smiled, hugging her as well. "Hey Happy, how's it going?" she smiled to him as well.

"What are you doing here?" asked Juice. Tessie shrugged her shoulders lightly.

"That would depend on your definition of here," she smiled, "In town? It's a long story. Here, here," she motioned to the ground at her feet laughing lightly, "My car is making funny noises and you guys are the best mechanics in town."

"Does he know you're back?" asked Happy. Tessie shook her head.

"I just literally drove into town. I was hoping to catch him while I was here…" she trailed off, part of her hoping the guys would tell her that he left earlier or something. But she knew she couldn't get that lucky.

"He's inside," nodded Juice, "I'll take a look at your car while you talk to him."

"Thanks, Juice-Box," grinned Tessie as she handed him her keys. She nodded to Charlie to stay outside, while she made her way through the doors and into the bar. The immediate smell of alcohol was evident before she even stepped inside. It never fails that it's always the little things that never change. She looked around the place, seeing a few familiar faces, but there was only one she was looking for.

He was leaning against the double doors to their meeting room talking to one of the other members. He had a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other, with a small smile on his face. Apparently they were celebrating something. She very slowly weaved through the tables and made her way towards them, knowing that she was going to regret not stopping at the bar for a shot of tequila first.

He turned his head to look at her before she had the chance to say anything to him; the smile wiping clean off his face. He was as shocked to see her as she was to be in this town again.

"Tess?" he asked, "Holy shit!"

"I seem to be getting that reaction a lot in the last few minutes," she laughed lightly, knowing the joke was just as lame as it sounded. "Hey Jax," she smiled softly, her hands fiddling with the strap of her purse. She wasn't sure how this reunion would go, but the silence sure was not a good sign. Tessie looked over to the guy Jax was talking to and smiled up at him, "Hi Opie," she grinned.

"Hello to you too, Tess," he smiled softly. He seemed just as shocked as Jax. "I'm just gonna…" he trailed off and walked away before Tess or Jax could say anything else.

"What are you doing here?" asked Jax.

"Well, my car was making weird noises and…"

"Not what I meant, Tess," he said, raising his voice slightly.

"It's a long story. Can we talk somewhere else, please?" she asked, looking around at everyone whose eyes were on the two of them. Tessie rolled her eyes as she turned back to Jax.

"Yeah, let's go," he motioned for her to follow him as he headed down one of the hallways, leading her to his old room in the place.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It wasn't that Tessie was uncomfortable in this situation, even though she really was; it was just that she never trusted herself alone with Jax. She especially never trusted herself alone in Jax's bedroom with him. He closed the door behind the two of them and Tessie moved to stand on the other side of the room. As long as there was distance between them, then all was well, right?

"So? Let's hear it," he said, leaning his back against the door. He reached into his cut and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it as his eyes moved back up to meet her own.

"Do you want the Cliff's notes version? Or the whole story?" she asked, hoping to at least get a smile from him. But it didn't seem like her attempts were working in her favor.

"Fine," she said, "Some shit went down and freaked me out. And the only place I could think of to go and get away from it was here," she let out in one full breath. It was the simplest explanation she could give him.

"Look, if you came back here looking for…" Tessie threw up her hands, interrupting him before he could finish saying what she was pretty sure he was about to say.

"I didn't come back looking for you to save me, Jax," she said, plain and simple. She took a deep breath and looked around, sitting down in the desk chair that was behind her. "Some serious shit went down with my mom. This was the only place I knew she wouldn't come looking for me at." Her eyes were focused on her hands in her lap. She didn't want to see the look on his face. She didn't want him to see the look on hers, either.

"What are you talking about, Tess? What did that old witch do now?" he asked, moving towards Tess. She looked up long enough to see him moving closer to her and she wheeled the chair she was in away from him. She never stopped loving Jax, she always thought that was the reason she couldn't keep a serious relationship now. She wasn't sure about him, but she sure as hell wasn't going to make a fool of herself either.

"She showed up at my apartment a few weeks ago, drugged out of her mind, drunk too I would assume. She broke the chain off my door trying to get in. She had some boyfriend of hers with her and they tore up the place looking for money or anything they could hock to get money. I kept yelling at her to get out, but her boyfriend pulled a gun and threatened me. I gave her all the cash I had before finally getting them to leave," she took a deep breath, trying not to cry. None of this was a lie. This was the main reason she had taken the case in the first place. Her mother would never set foot back in Charming and Tess knew it.

She stood up from her chair, running her hand through her hair. Her eyes looked up and locked with Jax's. He was angry now. But not at her, at least Tess had hoped not at her. He had hated her mother almost as much as Tessie had. She knew that he would find out eventually, she just wanted him to hear it from her. It was the perfect cover story. Sometimes, the truth always works out to your benefit.

"Look, I just wanted you to hear that I was back from me and not from someone else," she said, moving to walk around him. The room felt somehow smaller now and Tess knew that if she stayed in there any longer that she would end up crying. "I'm sorry, Jax. For everything," she muttered as she opened the door and walked out of the room.

She leaned her back against the door, closing her eyes for a split second. She took in a deep breath and made her way down the hallway and back into the bar. She knew that her uncle would catch her before she left, as well as a few of the other guys, so she wanted to make sure she looked like everything was alright.

Once she was in the room she noticed that Charlie was sitting at the bar with Juice, which meant that he had fixed her car already. She slowly walked over to them, noticing the look on Charlie's face, Tess shook her head softly before leaning on the bar.

"So, which one of you fella's is gonna pour this girl a drink?" she asked, smiling at the group of guys around her. This used to be her family. And now they were her job. How did life get so topsy turvy all of a sudden? She shook the thoughts from her head as her Uncle Chibs walked over and embraced her in a hug.

"Welcome back, kiddo," he grinned as he kissed the top of her head. She said her hellos to Tig, Bobby, and Piney, knowing that she had already said hello to everyone else. She just hadn't seen Clay or Gemma yet. She shrugged the thought off as she watched Jax walk back into the room with everyone. A slight smile crawled across her lips as she glanced over to Charlie, Tess reached for the shot glass in front of her and downed her first shot of Tequila for the night.

Five shots of tequila and two beers later, Tessie was nowhere near able to drive to a motel. She and Charlie hadn't even checked into one yet since they'd gotten into town. It was seven o'clock and she was drunk, she knew this wasn't a good plan. She glanced around at the others who had drank just as much, if not more than she had, and she smiled to herself. _'So, this is what it's like to come back home,'_ she thought.

She found Charlie flirting very heavily with Juice and knew that there was no chance she could drive them anywhere, so she only had one option left. "Shit," she muttered to herself as she leaned back in her chair. She pushed her body off her chair and looked around at her surroundings. She was sober enough to move, but she wasn't sober enough to take responsibility for her actions or in this case her words.

She walked towards Jax and Opie who were sitting at a table by themselves. Normally, Tess was the other person at the table with them. But ten years was a long time. She smiled as she took the empty seat at their table.

"Well, hello boys," she grinned, running her fingers through her hair.

"Hello drunkie," smiled Opie as he reached for his beer and drank the last little bit of it. Tessie frowned at him as she leaned back in her chair.

"That wasn't very nice," she pouted as she folded her arms across her chest. Jax laughed and shook his head at the woman. He looked from her, to Opie, back to her.

"Dude, I think she's giving you the death glare," said Jax, motioning to the look on Tess' face. She looked between the two, sticking her tongue out at the both of them.

"You guys are mean," she said, pushing out her bottom lip like a child. The two men both laughed at her, shaking their heads.

"Some things never change, eh Tess?" said Jax. She reached over and punched his arm as hard as she could, knowing it wasn't very hard considering her body was slowly getting ready for sleep.

"Bite me," she grinned, "I think it's time for bed," she laughed lightly as she looked around the room. It was still early and part of her knew that. But it had already been such a long day of driving, plus the alcohol, and the stress, and a million other things that kept piling up in her head. The last thing she remembered was laying her head against the table and then everything went black around her.

She remembered someone picking her up and carrying her, followed by them laying her down in someone's bed and throwing a blanket over her. After that, there was nothing. She felt like a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She couldn't remember when the last time she drank like that was. It was probably the last time she was in Charming.

Tessie stretched the next morning, not even caring where she was; just that she had slept very well the night before. She let her legs stretch out in bed as far as she could, her body freezing when her foot kicked someone else that wasn't her. She very slowly turned her body around, glancing over her shoulder and praying to God it wasn't who she thought it was. When she seen the person, she realized how much God had truly hated her.

"Damn it," she growled, jumping out of the bed. She was grateful that her clothes were still on, or else she would have been kicking Jax's ass right about now. She walked back over to the bed, picking up the pillow and hitting him with it as hard as she could.

"Son of a bitch!" he growled, raising up in bed, "Damn it, Tess. What the hell?" Tessie's grip on the pillow never faltered, she didn't plan on letting it go.

"Why the hell am I in bed with you?" she asked, raising her voice a little more than she had intended. "I'm barely back a day and already I'm in bed with you. What the hell is wrong with this picture, Jax?" she asked, knowing that her freaking out wasn't helping the situation any. She reached over the bed and hit him with the pillow again, "What…" she hit him with the pillow, "the fuck…" she hit him again, "happened…" one more time, "last night!" Jax finally took the pillow from her, pulling her onto the bed next to him.

"Calm down, woman! Nothing happened!" he raised his voice to her, not meaning to. But a man can only take being hit by a pillow so many times before he gets annoyed.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Thank you for the favorites and the follows. I'm glad you guys like this. Please send over a review and let me know what you think. Any feedback would be awesome. :)

Chapter 3

Tessie stepped away from the bed, running her fingers through her hair. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. She shook her head lightly, taking in a deep breath. She still had her clothes on, which was a majorly good sign. She looked around the room, trying to get her bearings. She raised an eyebrow when she realized where she was.

"We're still at the club, aren't we?" she asked, sighing a little at the end of the sentence. She looked back up at Jax, the smile still on his face. "Damn it!" she muttered as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Calm down, Tess. You were too drunk to drive anywhere and so was your friend. This was the only option. Besides, it was sleep in my room or Tig's," he said laughing as he stood up and walked into the bathroom. She turned and glared at his back as he walked away from her. She then realized the tattoo on his back and the fact that he still had his jeans on as he closed the door behind him.

Tessie dropped back onto the bed, as she moved the pillow to her face and screamed into it as loud as she could.

After watching Jax walk out of the room to grab her bags from her car, Tessie decided on a much needed shower. She needed to flush the smell of tequila off of her, as well as some other things. She stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. It never occurred to her that she would have to lock it. She stripped off her clothes, turning on the shower. Once the water was warm enough for her, she stepped on in.

Jax pushed past the guys in the bar, ignoring the whistles they were giving him. He knew what they thought and he could care less. He pulled Tessie's bag behind him as he walked back into his room. The girl was nowhere to be found. At least, that was until he noticed the bathroom door closed. He sat the bag down on the bed and moved towards the closed door, he could hear the shower running and Tessie mumbling to herself on the other side.

He let out a soft laugh and knocked on the door. When she didn't holler back he pushed open the door slightly, "Tess your bag is on the bed when you're done." He made it a point to keep his eyes on the ground, but at the same time he did miss her.

Tess froze when she heard the door open and Jax holler in. "Thanks," she yelled back, trying to move away from the shower door. She wasn't sure if he had seen her, part of her hoped not, but that was only part of her. She shook the thought out of her head as she finished washing her hair and body.

When she was done with her shower, she reached for the only towel she could find. Of course it felt like a beach towel when she tried to wrap it around herself. She couldn't help but notice the fact that it smelled like Jax, either. She brought the towel up to wipe off her face, and for a moment she realized that she was glad to be where she was. She dropped the towel from her face and wrapped it around her body as she turned for the door.

She cracked it open, looking into the room and hoping that she was alone. She didn't see anyone, so she opened the door and stepped into the bedroom. She walked over to the bed, opened her suitcase, and pulled out some clothes. She slipped her underwear on under the towel before putting the rest of her clothes on. Jeans and a t-shirt were her safe bet. It was either that or shorts and a tank top. She knew that would not be a good idea right now. After she finished getting dressed and slipped on her tennis shoes, she grabbed her hair brush and toothbrush and walked back into the bathroom.

Jax was sitting in the Chapel room, otherwise known as the meeting room to the members of the MC. He was sitting in his usual chair, trying to clear his head a bit. He knew Tessie would be walking out of the back room soon, so he was trying to avoid going outside and sitting in his usual rooftop spot. The doors were wide open and he could see the guys walking around the club house. They were either hunting down more food, or more booze. Jax lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair.

Tessie walked out of the back room, leaving her bag in the bedroom, she wasn't sure how things were going to turn out, but she had to admit it was cheaper to stay there than at a motel. Tessie had yet to see Gemma or Clay and she knew she was bound to run into one of them or both of them soon. She ran her fingers through her almost dry hair as she entered the main part of the club house. The guys were scattered around the room, but her friend Charlie was nowhere to be found.

"Perfect," she muttered to herself. She looked towards the Chapel and seen the doors were wide open, which could only mean one thing right now. She walked towards the open doors and smiled softly as she seen Jax sitting in there alone. She leaned in the doorway and folded her arms across her chest.

"Look, about this morning," she started to say.

"Forget it," said Jax, standing up out of his chair. He walked around the table and over towards her, "I have a few things I need to do today, but you can stick around here if ya want." He leaned against the doorway opposite of her. "The guys will watch out for ya, Tess." She smiled softly.

"Thanks, Jax. But I shouldn't stick around here anymore than I need to. It'll give them the wrong idea," she laughed softly, motioning towards the other guys in the place. He laughed lightly, dropping his head to look at the floor before looking back up at her.

"I think they've already got the wrong idea, Tess," he smiled to her and pushed himself off the door. She rolled her eyes, knowing that he was probably right.

"Don't you have a girlfriend or something you need to tend to," she asked, walking with him towards the front door. She wasn't for sure on this, she was just guessing because she knew Jax.

"Actually, something like that yeah…" he trailed off, looking over to Tess. The smile on her face dropped and he couldn't help but let his fall either. "But Gemma's in the office already if you wanna go say hi," he motioned towards the garage.

Tessie shrugged her shoulders realizing that she was hoping he would say no girlfriend, but it never occurred to her to mind. She dropped her head down to look at the ground, and for the first time her eyes wandered to his left hand. That was it. Jax was married now. What was she even doing? She reached out for his hand, lifting it so she could see the ring.

"Married now, huh?" she asked, letting the awkward laugh escape her lips. "At least one of us got something of a happy ending…"

She picked up her speed before Jax could even say anything else and she didn't glance over her shoulder. She moved towards the office, stopping when she got to the door. She heard Jax start his bike, and she closed her eyes for a moment. She had to force herself not to look over her shoulder as she heard him pull away from the lot. She dropped her head as she opened the door to the office, smiling as she seen Gemma sitting in her chair behind the desk.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jax stopped at the stop sign around the corner. He took in a deep breath as he looked around and didn't see any cars. What was he still doing with that ring on? He had filed for divorce from Wendy almost a month ago now. Was it habit? Was he being hopeful? He rolled his eyes, pushing the thoughts out of his head. He reached for his hand and slipped the ring from his finger. He slipped it into the pocket of his jeans as he looked around once more before driving off down the road.

"Hey Gemma," said Tessie, as she stepped into the office. She smiled as she noticed the place had papers everywhere, not to mention pinups as well. Gemma stood up and walked over to the girl, embracing her in a small hug.

"How you been, darlin'?" she asked the young woman. "I heard you were in town, I just couldn't believe it." Tessie laughed lightly, shrugging her shoulders a bit as Gemma motioned for her to sit down.

"It's kind of a long story," she said, taking in a deep breath. Her and Gemma talked for a couple of hours before Gemma offered Tess a job. Of course, Tessie wasn't looking for one, but she couldn't quite tell Gemma that she was a Federal Agent investigating their family, now could she? Gemma needed help in the office and Tessie was the perfect person to help. She knew the rules of the club and she knew her way around the members. Plus, she was Chibs niece, and she was still family.

Tessie told her yes that she'd help. She needed a way in and this was it. Granted deep down she really hated herself for this. But what else was she supposed to do. Gemma said she would talk to Clay and for Tess to be back in the morning. Tessie smiled, mentioning that she was probably staying at the club house again, so she'd be there.

She stepped out of the office looking around the lot. People were walking around, acting like they owned the place. And in truth, they did. The MC is what kept this town safe and kept it going. Although, nobody would ever admit to that. Tessie smiled as she seen her friend Charlie walking out of the club house. Charlie's sunglasses were over her eyes before she even walked out the door, which meant that she was still hung over. Tess checked her phone to see what time it was, it was a little past one in the afternoon.

"Well, lookie what we have here," she laughed as she walked up to Charlie.

"Bite me!" Charlie said, rubbing her head.

"Did you have a good time last night with Juice?" asked Tess as she wiggled her eyebrows, trying her hardest not to bust out into laughter. Charlie sleeping with one of the members was not part of the plan, but it sure the hell amused Tess.

"Ha ha, you are so funny, bitch! Did you have fun sleeping with Teller?" she asked, raising her eyebrows as her lips pulled up into a grin.

"For your information, Jax and I did not sleep together," she said, sticking her tongue out at Charlie. The two girls walked over to Tessie's car and climbed inside. She started up the engine and pulled out of the lot. Once they were far enough away, the silence being the most annoying thing ever, Tessie opened her mouth.

"Gemma offered me a job," she said, glancing over to Charlie. "Helping her out in the office. She figured if I'd be around for a while, I may as well be useful." Tessie laughed lightly at the end of her sentence. She stopped the car at a light and glanced over to see the dropped jaw look on Charlie's face.

"What? It was a way in, so I took it," said Tess. Charlie just shook her head, knowing that Tessie was right and nothing would change her mind. Once they parked outside of one of the diner's in town, the two girls called the office to check in and keep them posted. They hung up the phone, cleaned out the call list, and switched out the sim card. Nobody would be the wiser.

They walked into the diner for a nice lunch, talking about the night before and their plans for where they were going to stay. Charlie, of course, didn't have a problem staying with Juice at the club house. It was Tessie who was slightly weary about staying there. They would never get any work done, and it was a big risk even if they tried. Plus, she was worried about what would happen if she did end up in the same room alone with Jax again.

After they finished eating, the two girls hopped back in the car and made their way back to TM. They had decided that from here on out, they would play it by ear and hope that something would catch their attention. But Tessie knew that the Sons were careful about things, and that it would probably be a while before anyone found anything out about them.

She pulled her car into the lot, moving into one of the empty spots as if she had done this a thousand times. Only that was ten years ago. She stepped out of the car, grabbing her bag and making her way back to the club house. She noticed the bikes were back, which meant the guys were here. That also meant that Tessie was about to have a very awkward conversation with Jax. She wasn't sure she was ready for that yet.

The two girls walked into the place acting like nothing was different. Truth was, nothing was different. They had to be themselves for this thing to work. Charlie found Juice, smiled at Tess, and then walked away. Tessie shook her head as she looked around for Chibs or for Jax. She found her uncle first.

Tessie smiled as she walked over to him, clapping him on the back. He was talking with Tig and Clay, which of course made Tessie nervous, but she would never let it show.

"Well, well, well, Chibs and Gemma told me you were here, but I still don't believe my eyes," said Clay, smiling at the girl. Tessie never trusted Clay, she got that idea from Jax. But she knew better. This was his house. He was head of the household. And he was still her family as well.

"You better believe it," she grinned, "I'm sticking around this time." She knew that part wasn't fully true, but they didn't need to know that.

"That's good to hear, kiddo. Who's your friend?" asked Clay, nodding over in Charlie's direction.

"She was my roommate back in New York. She's cool," Tessie smiled. Clay nodded his approval, knowing that Juice would keep him informed if she wasn't. Deep down, Tessie knew that as well.

"So, where's the little prince?" Tessie laughed lightly at the nickname for Jax. She wasn't the only one to ever call him that, but she knew that Jax hated it.

"I think he's in his room, lass," said Chibs, motioning behind them.

"Thanks, Unc," she smiled and nodded her head slightly. She waved to the guys as she moved away from the three of them. She couldn't help but cringe, knowing at least Tig had his eyes on her as she walked away. She rolled her eyes and continued down the hallway.

She stopped outside of Jax's room, knowing it was safer to knock than to just walk in. She reached up, rapping her knuckles against the door.

"Yeah?" she heard Jax from the other side.

"It's me. Is it safe to come in?" she asked, laughing lightly as she moved her hand to the door knob.

"Yeah, come on in, Tess," she could hear the laughter in Jax's voice as she turned the door knob and walked in the room. He was alone, which didn't really surprise her. He was sitting at the edge of his bed, cigarette lit between his fingers. She closed the door behind her, leaning against it as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Your ma offered me a job," she laughed softly as she kept her eyes on him. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Yeah, she told me," he said, plain and simple. He seemed as if something was wrong, but at the same time Tessie really couldn't read him. She raised an eyebrow as she took a step into the room.

"Everything okay, Jax?" she asked, softly. Part of her wasn't sure if she even wanted to know the answer. He dropped his eyes to his hands, taking a puff off the cigarette before looking back up to her.

"We should talk. About earlier," he said. Now Tessie was confused. What on Earth was he talking about?

"What do you mean?" she asked, walking over and sitting in the chair across from him.

"I'm not married….anymore," he said, his eyes meeting hers. "I filed for divorce a while back. I just haven't taken the ring off." She didn't understand why he was telling her this. It wasn't any of her business.

"Jax, I don't care," she gave him a small smile, "I mean, I've been gone for a while now. You were bound to move on. It happens."

"See, that's the thing. I didn't move on." His eyes locked on to hers and now Tessie was scared of what would happen next. She promised herself that she wasn't here for Jax. She wasn't here to start this up again. But now, it seemed like she was going to be breaking that promise. She took in a deep breath before she opened her mouth to speak.

"I don't know what to say…" she trailed off. He left her at a standstill and now she was speechless. This was never a good sign. "Why did you get married, then?" The minute the words left her lips, she completely regretted them. Why did she have to ask him that?

"Honestly?" he asked before shrugging his shoulders. "I think I was getting tired of being lonely." His eyes moved away from hers. "I realized that you weren't coming back, and then that was it. I figured I needed to move on and get over it. So I got married."

Tessie raised her eyebrows as she watched him speak. Was he blaming her for leaving? She shook her head lightly. She wasn't quite sure how he wanted her to react to this, but part of her just wanted to hit him as hard as she could, just to get it over with.

"Jax, I…" she stopped short when his lips crashed against hers. It happened so fast, she could barely register it. He placed his hands on either side of her face as he kissed her. Tessie fell into the kiss, knowing it was a bad idea, but not caring either. She stood up, her hands moving to his waist as she gripped onto his cut to hold her balance. He pulled away, his eyes staring into hers. In that moment, they both knew they missed each other. They both realized they were where they needed to be. And the final thought that ran through Tessie's head was _'Oh boy. This can't be good!'_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

She took a step back away from Jax, her hands still held out at arm's length. She let go of his cut as she took in a deep breath. None of this was supposed to happen. She wasn't there to stir all of this shit back up. She was there to do her job and to leave it at that. But now… She dropped her head low, her eyes looking to her feet. She closed them for a split second before she saw him take a step towards her. She took a step backwards towards the door. Her eyes very slowly moved up to meet Jax's.

"I have to go," she whispered before turning around and walking out of the door. She could no longer stay in the club house. She knew what would happen next, and she couldn't let it happen. She stepped out into the bar, holding the tears back, she needed to be strong. She found her uncle and moved towards him.

"Do you still have the keys to my dad's house?" she asked Chibs. She knew the answer, and she knew that if she was staying in town that was the place she needed to be at.

"Aye, lass. Everything alright?" asked Chibs.

"Yeah," she let out a soft sigh, "I just thought it would be easier to stay there instead of here. Maybe fix it up a bit or something." She shrugged her shoulders, hoping that he would get the fact that she needed to be somewhere that Jax wasn't. Chibs looked to the other side of the room and seen Jax walking down the hallway with his hands shoved into his jeans pockets. Tessie didn't even bother to look in his direction.

Chibs reached into his pocket, pulling out his keys. He unhooked a couple of them and handed them over to Tessie. "Nobody's been in that house since ya left. Not even me," he said, giving her a faint smile. "It's probably one 'ell of a mess." Tessie shrugged, said her thanks, and asked Chibs to let Charlie know that she left.

Once she walked outside, she made her way towards her car. She needed distance. She wasn't there for herself, or for Jax. It was a job. A job that she shouldn't have taken, but she was the only one who could take it. She knew this whole thing would be a bad idea, but she didn't care at the time. And now, she knew that one way or the other, things were going to go the opposite direction than she had planned.

She had made it to her old house in one piece. Tessie was surprised she didn't cry the whole way there. She was stronger than this. This was no time to be a girl. She shook the thoughts from her head as she parked the car in the driveway. The place hadn't changed since she had left. Time had just taken its toll on the paint as well as a few other things. She wondered how bad the inside was.

She stepped out of her car, locking the doors, then making her way to the front of the house. She pulled out the keys that her uncle had given her, knowing which one was which, she unlocked the front door. Tessie pushed open the door and immediately the smell of dust and whatever else had hit her nostrils. The furniture was covered with plastic but the place needed air, badly. Before she moved to do anything else, she started opening all of the windows on the bottom floor. Some fresh air would be nice, and it would clear out most of this dust. Afterwards, she made her way up the stairs to the two main bedrooms and the main bathroom that connected the two. She opened all of those windows, saving her old room for last.

The moment she walked into her old room, she regretted taking this job and coming back to this place. The room was full of memories that she hadn't thought about in the decade since she had left. She walked over and opened the windows before turning around and looking at the place. At first glance, you wouldn't even realize this was a room for a teenage girl. There were posters of bands, muscle cars, motorcycles, and a few other things on the walls.

When she opened the closet that gave way this was a girl's room. All of her high school clothes were still there. Her short shorts, jeans, tank tops, hoodies, and anything else. Including the few shirts she had stolen from Jax or Opie once upon a time. She took in a deep breath as she stepped away from the closet, closing the door behind her.

She looked over to her dresser, smiling slightly as she seen the photos on her mirror. There was one of her and Jax when they were sixteen, the day after her father's funeral; and another of her, Jax, and Opie on the same day. She remembered that day. She spent most of it moping around the house until the boys came and took her away. They did everything they could to make her smile, and eventually get her to laugh. Gemma had taken those photos of them.

Tessie pulled the photo of the three of them off the mirror as she stepped back towards the bed behind her. She sat down on the edge of it, looking at the three of them in this photo. So much had changed since then. And too much of it was because of her. She was scared. She left because she was scared. She never told anyone that. Not even Charlie. She left without a word, knowing that it would hurt everyone she loved. But it was the only chance she had to live a different life outside of the Outlaw one.

She let out a deep breath that she hadn't even realized she was holding in before standing up and putting the photo back on the mirror. That was another lifetime ago. She had a job to do now. She needed to get her head straight and focus on that. She pulled the cell from her pocket and called Charlie up. She let her know they had a place to stay and that she was going to unload the car, before she headed back to TM to pick her up.

It took Tess only twenty minutes to put their suitcases where they needed to be. Part of her was trying to procrastinate going back to that place. But she knew that she had no other options than to pick up her friend. She sighed as she stepped out of the house, locking it back up and working her way to her car.

When she had made it back to the club house, she realized that other people had started to gather. It was a regular party. Other bikers, crow-eaters, and whoever else was brave enough to show up, had done so. Tessie had a feeling that this meant Charlie would want to stay and hang out, try to see if anything would happen. But Tessie knew better. She parked her car, stepping out and walking around, watching the people start to gather outside. She sat down on the rear bumper and folded her arms across her chest.

She would never admit it out loud, but a part of her really missed this place. It was home. It was her family. And she took the coward's way out leaving like she did. She dropped her head, looking to the ground as she pushed her body off the car. She walked towards the clubhouse door, moving through the crowd. It was already becoming a regular party and it was barely five in the evening.

She walked over to the bar, noticing there was nobody keeping an eye on the alcohol. If this night was going to go the way she had thought, she needed a drink. She reached behind the bar, grabbing the bottle of Jack just as someone grabbed her wrist. Tessie laughed, knowing that she would know that manicured hand from anywhere. She cocked her head over her shoulder, flashing Gemma her grin.

"What d'ya think you're doing?" Gemma laughed lightly.

"Well, I was going to pour me a drink since nobody else was here," smiled Tessie. Gemma grabbed two glasses and sat them down in front of them. She popped the lid off the bottle and poured the brown liquid into the two glasses.

"Welcome back, Tess," smiled Gemma as she raised her glass. Tessie clinked hers with the older woman's and let the warm liquid run down her throat. Liquid courage, as her father had always called it. The only reason she stuck with her select few drinks. She seen Charlie and Juice, Charlie giving Tess a slight wave, she returned it. Her eyes wandered around until she found Jax, he was sitting with some skinny blonde. Her legs took up most of her body, and those heels. Tessie shook her head, noticing that Jax had noticed her, and she downed the rest of the liquid in the glass. She was officially jealous. Shit.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: This is kind of pointless, but I was curious what you guys thought of this story. I keep getting follows, but absolutely no reviews. To me, I'm not sure if that's good or not. Also, I was curious about your thoughts on season 7. The final season is starting soon, I'm dreading it…. But anyway, I hope you guys keep reading and loving this story.

Chapter 6

Jealousy didn't look good on anybody, especially on someone like Tess. She had an 'in' with the club, which meant she was one of the family. She couldn't be jealous of some skinny blonde hanging all over the love of her life. She cringed thinking about it. He wasn't the love of her life, not anymore, not since she had left him. This was all her fault. If she had stayed around, they would probably be married, and possibly be miserable. But she couldn't be sure of that.

She turned her back to Jax, her eyes watching the glass in her hand. She knew Gemma was bound to pry. Tessie had just hoped that the woman would wait and do it at a different time. She cocked her head, moving her eyes to meet Gemma's and she knew that the older woman understood.

"He doesn't mean anything by it, Tess. He never has," said Gemma, leaning against the bar next to her.

"It's not my place anymore, Gem. Hasn't been for a long time."

"That may be true, darlin'. But feelings like that don't just disappear, either."

Tessie sighed, without even realizing that she had done it. She reached for the bottle and poured herself another drink. She brought the glass to her lips, downing the liquid one more time. She knew this whole thing was a bad idea. She was just going to get tied back into the same old crap. And she didn't want that to happen. Not for her, or her friend. But she knew Charlie was all about the job. But she wasn't sure if that was entirely true anymore.

She needed to get out of this place. Out of this building. Away from these people. And out of this town. She could feel her heart start racing again. The panic was beginning to settle in with the anxiousness, and she could feel the attack rising. She put her hand to her chest, her breathing beginning to increase.

"I have to get out of here," she managed to mutter to Gemma before she stood up and headed outside. She walked so fast, she barely registered the wind when she stepped out into it. She took in a deep breath, bending over trying to calm herself. Her arms across her stomach, head resting against her knees. She bent down, moving her hands to rest against the concrete on either side of her. Her breathing was slowly returning to normal, but the panic in her heart was still there. She wasn't sure why this was happening, but she had a feeling that she was done with this job.

She heard the door open behind her and knew that someone had followed her. She didn't bother turning around to see who it was. She didn't really care right now. She took in a deep breath and stood up. She reached up to wipe her face, not even realizing that she was crying. She rolled her eyes at herself as she tried to move back to her car. It was then she realized who had stepped outside.

"Are you alright, Tess?" she heard his voice ask. It was enough to make her squeeze her eyes shut. She wasn't this weak person. What the hell was happening to her right now? This wasn't who she was. She was stronger than this. She turned to face him, knowing her face was going to give away the truth to his question.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Jax. I just need to get out of here. Sorry," she said, trying her hardest to keep her voice steady. She waved him off and started across the lot to her car.

"Tess, wait!" said Jax, walking over towards her. "You don't have to leave."

"Yes, I do," she said, turning her head to look at him. "I can't be here. It's just too much. Too many memories. I can't handle it."

Jax raised his eyebrows and looked at the girl in front of him. Something else was wrong with her, he could tell by the way she was acting.

"Look, if this is about what happened back there," he started. Tess turned to look at him, shaking her head and grinning.

"This has nothing to do with what happened. It's not the first time that's ever happened, ya know," she laughed lightly, "It's just too much to take in in such a short amount of time." She dropped her head, looking to the ground as she leaned against her car. "There's a lot going on you don't know about, Jax."

"So, tell me," he said, smiling at her. She shook her head, knowing that she wanted to, but she couldn't do that.

"I can't. I have to go," she said, opening the car door ad climbing in. She would let Charlie worry about herself. She could handle it. She started up the car, checking the mirrors and watching Jax move away from the car as she backed out of her parking spot. She stopped, part of her really wanted to talk to him. Just without the stress of everything else. She glanced over her shoulder, not moving the car an inch. Jax walked over to the passenger window to check on her.

"Get in," she said, glancing over at him, "Before I change my mind." He laughed lightly, shaking his head as he opened the door and climbed in. She saw him reaching for his cigarettes as he closed the door.

"No smoking in my car," she smiled softly as she pulled out of the lot.

"Yes, ma'am," said Jax laughing as he leaned back in the seat. Tessie wasn't sure how this was going to go. She wasn't even sure what she was going to say to him. She just knew that she had to talk to him. She wasn't driving to her house, and Jax seemed to know that. The whole ride was silent. The sun was almost fully set and it was beginning to get dark.

She pulled to car into the parking lot of a small park. It wasn't anything special really. It was just the basic set up. It was mostly grass and trees, though. Jax and Tessie used to go here when they were teenagers. It was quiet and away from everyone and everything. She shut off the engine of the car and cocked her head to look over at Jax. He smiled over at her and the two got out of the car. They walked around to the front of the car, Tessie leaned against the front bumper of her car.

"Wow. I haven't been here in a while," said Jax, turning to look at Tess.

"That's what happens when you get busy. You forget about the little things," she laughed lightly as she pushed herself off of the car. She started walking towards the swing set.

"Well, you said you wanted to talk," she said, glancing over her shoulder at Jax. She walked over and sat down on one of the swings, waiting for him to walk over and sit next to her on the other swing.


End file.
